Patrick Gudauskas hits his stride just in time to win second-round heat

By Eric Heinz

Southern swells continued to provide ample surf for the second round of the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing on Wednesday, Aug. 2, as some of San Clemente’s finest posted excellent scores at Huntington Beach’s Surf Stadium. The top two surfers in each heat moved on to the third round.

Patrick Gudauskas, a San Clemente native, was in third place for a good portion of his second-round heat in the Men’s QS 10,000 division. Gudauskas needed a 5.10 wave to move into first place, and in the last few seconds of the heat, he hit the perfect wave and scored a 6.33 to win and move to the third round.

Kolohe Andino, who has had the surf world talking all week leading up to the Open, posted two rides to combine for a score of 15.17 to win his heat and head into the third round. He eclipsed Japan’s Hiroto Ohhara by almost 2 points and Alex Ribeiro of Brazil by 2 and a half.

Griffin Colapinto left his fellow competitors in the rear-view, stacking a second-round score of 14.50. Colapinto’s younger brother, Crosby, is currently competing in the junior men’s heats along with up-and-comer Cole Houshmand, both of San Clemente. His closest competitor, Dusty Payne of Hawaii, scored a 13.03.

Griffin Colapinto of San Clemente makes a large turn during the 2016 Volcom Totally Crustaceous Surf Tour Global Championships at Lower Trestles. Colapinto scored a 14.50 to win his second-round heat at the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing on Wednesday, Aug. 2, in Huntington Beach. Photo: File

Evan Geiselman, a resident of San Clemente by way of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, won his heat by a sliver against fellow American Michael Dunphy by about half a point. The two sent fellow American, Hawaii’s Koa Smith, and Japan’s Hiroto Arai packing home, but both posted decent scores of 11.07 and 13.04, respectively.

Ian Crane, also of San Clemente, was able to earn a third-round berth, finishing second in his heat with a 13.50. The winner of the heat, Filipe Toledo of Brazil, scored a whopping 15.43.

San Clemente-born Nate Yeomans just barely missed out, scoring well below Jadson Andre and Tomas Hermes, both of Brazil. Yeomans scored a 10.67.

Bethany Zelasko of Dana Point all received first-round byes into the quarter finals of the junior women’s division.

David Economos of San Clemente won his second-round heat in the junior men’s division with a score of 10.27, which included the top wave of the heat, a 6.17. In the same division, Kade Matson took second to get into the third round with a score of 12.37, besting fellow Americans Chase Modelski and Micha Cantor by a few points each. Reef Heazlewood of Australia won the heat.

The waves were getting a little choppy as the tide came in around 3:15 p.m. Forecasts from Surfline show the swell will dwindle as the weekend and finals approach on Sunday, Aug. 6, with an anticipated 3-to-4-foot surf.